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Formidable Class Frigate, Singapore

Six Formidable Class multi-mission frigates have been built for the Singapore Navy. The first of class, RSS Formidable, was launched on 7 January 2004 at the Lorient dockyard in Brittany, France.

The Republic of Singapore Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) awarded the contract in March 2002 to DCN (now DCNS) in France for the design and construction of the frigates. The contract included a technology transfer programme under which the construction of the first frigate was carried out in France and then five further frigates were built in Singapore by Singapore Technology Marine (STM) at the Benoi shipyard. The frigate programme is named Project Delta and is being managed by Singapore’s state-owned Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).

Image: naval-technology.com

Following the launch of the RSS Formidable in January 2004, work started on fitting the combat and platform systems. The frigate arrived at Changi Naval Base, Singapore, in August 2005 and was commissioned in May 2007. The six Formidable Class frigates were declared fully operational in January 2009.

Formidable Class frigates

As well as RSS Formidable (68), the class consists of: RSS Intrepid (69) launched in July 2004, RSS Steadfast (70) launched in January 2005 and RSS Tenacious (71) launched in July 2005 – all commissioned in February 2008; RSS Stalwart (72), launched in December 2005 and delivered in October 2007; and RSS Supreme (73), launched in May 2006 and delivered in August 2008. Stalwart and Supreme were commissioned in January 2009.

The frigates replace the six Sea Wolf Class missile gunboats that entered service in 1972 and are approaching the end of operational life.

Sea Wolf Class missile gunboats

The Sea Wolf class missile gunboats were acquired in 1968, based on the TNC 45 design from Fredrich Lürssen Werft. The first two gunboats were constructed in Germany, while the remaining four were constructed locally by ST Marine (then known as Singapore Shipbuilding and Engineering).

As new technology became available, these gunboats underwent a number of upgrading programmes in the 1980s and 1990s to increase their strike capability and sophistication. These gunboats became the first missile-armed naval vessels in Southeast Asia when they were upgraded to launch Boeing Harpoon (SSM) surface-to-surface missiles. On 13 May 2008, all six gunboats were retired at a sunset decommissioning ceremony held at Changi Naval Base following 33 years of service.

La Fayette Class based frigate design

(F-710) La Fayette

A high level of automation and closely integrated combat and ship management systems have been selected to allow the frigate to be operated with a crew of just 70. The overall length is 114.8m with a beam of 16.3m and draught of 6.0m. The full load displacement is 3,200t.

Command and control

The combat management system was developed by the state-owned DSTA with ST Electronics to meet the operational requirements of the Republic of Singapore Navy. DSTA also has responsibility for the combat systems integration. The standard operating common consoles, with 20in LCD displays, are supplied by Singapore Technologies Electronics, a subsidiary of ST Engineering.

Combat management system

Image: globalsecurity.orgImage: navalanalyses.blogspot.com

The Integrated Communications System is also supplied by Singapore Technologies Electronics.

Bridge

Formidable missiles

Image: seaforces.org

The frigate is armed with the Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface anti-ship missile. The Harpoon missile has a range of 130km and uses active radar guidance. The missile is armed with a 227kg warhead.

Harpoon anti-ship missile

RGM-84D Harpoon

The Harpoon is an all weather, subsonic, over the horizon, anti-ship missile which can be launch from surface ships, submarines and aircraft. Its guidance system consists of a 3-axis integrated digital computer/ radar altimeter for midcourse guidance, and an active radar seeker for the terminal phase of the flight.

The Harpoon flies at subsonic speeds, with a sea-skimming flight trajectory for improved survivability through reduced probability of detection by enemy defenses. It was designed to strike enemy ships in an open ocean environment.

The ship launched RGM-84 Harpoon was introduced in 1977, as well as the encapsulated submarine launched UGM-84.

Photo: techielobang.com

The frigate is fitted with the DCNS Sylver vertical launch system with MBDA Aster 15 surface-to-air missiles. There are four eight-cell SYLVER A43 launch modules with 32 missiles. The two-stage Aster missile is a high-agility and high-manoeuvrability defence missile for deployment against incoming sea skimming anti-ship missiles which use evasive terminal manoeuvres and re-attack modes. In anti-missile mode the Aster 15 has a range of 15km. Aster also provides protection against manned and unmanned aircraft to a range of 30km.

DCNS Sylver vertical launch system

ASTER 15

ASTER 15 – Image: from the web

The two-stage ASTER missiles are provided with two different solid propellant boosters resulting in the ASTER 15 and the ASTER 30 models. The ‘Pif-Paf’ control system enables the ASTER missile to counter high maneuverable missiles achieving a direct impact (hit-to-kill). The ‘Pif-Paf’ propulsion combines conventional aerodynamic control with control by gas jets acting through the centre of gravity of the missile. Until mid-course the guidance of an ASTER missile is based on the Inertial Navigation System (INS) updated through an uplink, in the terminal phase the guidance is provided by an active Radiofrequency seeker. The final stage of the ASTER missile is a ‘dart’ equipped with the seeker, a sustainer motor, a proximity fuze and a blast fragmentation warhead.

The ‘Pif-Paf’ propulsion – Image: wikiwand.com

The ASTER 15 is a short range missile intended for self-defense (point defense) purposes against highly maneuverable threats. The ASTER 15 is integrated on the SAAM and beginning in 2006 in the PAAMS system. The SAAM is installed on French-built frigates and the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. The PAAMS will be provided to the Horizon frigates (France and Italy) and the Type 45 destroyers (United Kingdom).

2 x Rafael Typhoon Mk25 naval stabilized gun

Image: David Boey

Typhoon is a family of lightweight, stabilized, remote controlled weapon systems for a full range of weapons, including:

Battle proven

Highly accurate in day and night operations

Lightweight

No deck penetration is required

Simple operation with high reliability

Cost effective

Modular design enable future upgrades

Toplite, highly stabilized, multi-role, multi-sensor optronic payload, is a day/night observation and targeting, configured for naval, air and ground surveillance and targeting systems.

Toplite provides the services required for precision guidance for guided weapons, day or night and under adverse weather conditions. Toplite enables observation, target detection, recognition and identification by the use of various sensors including FLIR, CCD and laser rangefinder. Toplite features both manual and automatic target tracking. The system includes the following sub-systems:

FLIR: 3rd GEN (3-5micron) or 8-12micron TDi

CCD camera B/W or color

Eye safe laser rangefinder

Laser designator (optional)

Advanced correlation tracker

Source rafael.co.il

Function

Close-In Weapon System

Manufacturer

Mount: General Motors Defence Australia (GMDA) under licence from Rafael.

Frigate aircraft capacities

The frigate has the capacity to operate a single medium-size helicopter in the 10t class. The helicopter deck at the stern, approximately 22m×16m (360m²), has a single landing spot. The hangar is fully equipped with helicopter support and maintenance systems. The frigate carries an additional 15 aircrew for helicopter flight operations.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force will fly the shipborne helicopter and helicopter mission crew will be from the Republic of Singapore Navy. In January 2005, MINDEF placed an order for six Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk helicopters to operate from the frigates.

Sensors

The Herakles multi-function radar, supplied by Thales, is the frigate’s primary surveillance radar. The phased array radar is a passive, three-dimensional, search and fire control radar operating over E and F bands. The radar, installed in a radome on top of the main mast, carries out long-range air and surface surveillance and weapon control. The Herakles radar is integrated with the Aster air defence missile system.

The frigates surface search and navigation radar is the Terma Scanter 2001, operating at I-band.

Herakles 3D S-band radar

Thales’ Herakles S-band multifunction radar. Illustration: Thales

Thales Herakles is installed in a radome on top of the main mast which is a rotating 3D passive electronically scanned array multi-function radar in the E/F-band (S-band) combining air and surface surveillance and fire control radar and thus performing all functions involved in the establishment of air and surface pictures. Herakles performs target detection and tracking, environment mapping, target classification, weapon assignment and deployment and missile uplink guidance. Herakles is optimized to detect and track multiple SSM, ARM, diving missiles, fighters and helicopters in littoral environments. Herakles provides 3D surveillance for up to 250 km (200 km on aircrafts, 60 km on missiles and 20+ km for sea skimming missiles). and it has a track capacity of more than 500 air and surface targets. Each ship is equipped with two Terma SCANTER 2001 navigation radars. One of the radar systems is utilized primarily for navigation and surveillance, whereas the other guides helicopters when landing on the frigates. Source navalanalyses.blogspot.com

2 x Terma SCANTER 2001 navigation radar

The SCANTER 2000 series is an X-band, 2D, fully coherent pulse compression radar, based on Solid State transmitter technology with digital software-defined functionality. It is especially suited for Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), river, and inner port surveillance. The outdoor transceiver unit is very small, weighs only 26 kg, and can be placed up-mast close to the antenna to minimize installation requirements and costs as well as waveguide loss between antenna and transceiver to acheive a high effecient solution. This SCANTER 2000 series provides a fully integrated solution with automated processing and low lifetime cost. Source navalanalyses.blogspot.com

BASED ON THE SCANTER RADAR TECHNOLOGY

Terma has more than 60 years of experience in developing and manufacturing radars, and more than 2,200 radar systems are installed worldwide. Terma provides radar sensors to Vessel Traffic Services

(VTS), Coastal Surveillance Radar (CS), and Surface Movement Radar (SMR) segments. More than 85 of all major airports around the world and 65% of all coastal shores rely on Terma’s sensor technology.

Stir 1.2 Mk2 (Upgraded)

Some of the vessels such as RSS Tenacious, RSS Stalwart and RSS Steadfast have received recently various improvements, including the Stir 1.2 Mk2 of Thales on bridge roof, a highly capable medium-to-long range tracking and illumination dual-band (I/K) radar system. A full set of electro-optic equipment (TV/IR/laser) complements the system for optimal performance in demanding environments, The system has been designed primarily to control point and area defence missile systems such as NATO Sea Sparrow, ESSM, Aster and Standard Missiles. A secondary application is the direct control of various caliber guns. Source navalanalyses.blogspot.com

Image: kementah.blogspot.com

STING-EO Mk2, Thales’s lightweight dual band (I and K) weapon control system, supports gun fire control, performs kill assessment and makes a valuable contribution to classification and identification of threats. In addition, the system can be used as a surveillance sensor, even under radar silence conditions.

The three data sources (I, K, EO) provide high redundancy, performance and ECCM resistance. STING EO Mk2 incorporates the latest solid-state I-band and K-band radars transmitters (low life cycle cost and high operational availability) and a new generation of electro-optical components (especially a third generation focal plane array infrared camera).

For operation in the littoral environment, STING EO Mk2 offers a list of benefits, such as: superior stealth target detection in strong (land) clutter, higher resistance against more stressing jamming scenarios and an extended EO capability for target identification and observation.

Instrumented range– I-band : 120 km– K-band : 36 km

Source THALES

*Note – seems it has no bow sonar

Countermeasures

The vessel’s electronic support measures (ESM) system is the Rafael C-PEARL-M radar intercept. C-PEARL-M is a lightweight ESM system consisting of two line replaceable units (LRU) – an antenna unit and a receiver-processor unit – which provide automatic detection, data measurement and identification of threats.

Rafael C-PEARL-M radar intercept

C-Pearl-M on main mast – Image: kementah.blogspot.com

The C-Pearl-M is a ship-mounted, miniature, lightweight, cost-effective electronic support measures system that enables automatic detection, data measurement and identification of threats. It consists of two line replaceable units: an antenna unit and a receiver-processor unit. C-PEARL-M is currently in service with the Navy of Israel and was selected by Australia for integration in Perry-class frigates. The C-Pearl-M has been designed to easily interface with the ship’s combat management system and fit with many types of vessels. It features modularity, high reliability and low maintainability. A single crew member can operate the C-PEARL-M system. Source deagel.com

Dagaie systems (NGDS)

Image: meretmarine.com

Each of the vessels is equipped with three eight (8) barrel 130mm Sagem NGDS (New-Generation Dagaie System) multiple decoy launchers to counter a variety of threats such as anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. Two decoy launchers are in front of the bridge and behind the VLS while the third one is located at the top of the helicopter hangar (it seems that the third launcher has been removed from the vessels). NGDS is integrated in the ship’s combat system’s detection and warning system and can react automatically to current or emerging threats, in extremely short times. Each system is equipped with a single dual launcher including decoys (infrared, radar or acoustic) adapted to the threat to be neutralized. The NGDS system adapts to all types of munitions: electromagnetic or IR decoys, Active Offboard Decoy (AOD), Anti-Torpedo Decoy and/or laser jammer, deployed at short, medium or long range. The launchers are linked to a computer that selects the decoying best-suited technique. The Electronic Warfare Coordination Center provides the commanding officer with the ship’s tactical situation and coordinates the various Electronic Warfare (EW) tactics: threat evaluation, tactics optimization, coordination of decoys, radar jammer and more generally, electronic countermeasures Electronic Support Measures (ESM).

SAGEM NGDS II (Upgraded)

Some of the ships which were mentioned earlier, have been spotted with different decoy launchers, the SAGEM NGDS II, which are a newer version of the EADS NGDS as it is advertised on company’s website and it looks very similar with the only one photo that the system is uncovered (see photos and information here). The new configuration is two forward launching systems replacing the two previous NGDS and two WASS countermeasure launching systemsatop the hangar. Source navalanalyses.blogspot.com

The C310 represent Defence Systems Division’ high-performance anti-torpedo countermeasure system. It’s designed to resist the attacks of the most technologically advanced torpedoes, wire-guided or not (launch-and-forget)

They are realized with electronic items that generate disturbance noise for the acoustic head of the enemy torpedo.

This kind of countermeasure can both represent dummy mobile targets (MTE) and generate disturbance noise for the acoustic head of the enemy torpedo (Jammers). The combination of mobile Decoys and Jammers has the purpose of cheating the torpedo, which directs its attacks towards the dummy targets, thus allowing the ship to perform an evasive countermeasure.

The definition of optimal reaction results using a elaboration software (ORACOM) that, based on multiple parameters, elaborates the more suitable operation to maximize surviving probabilities, even against last generation torpedoes with high potentials against contermeasures. Source leonardocompany.com

LRAD 500X

Compact, lightweight and designed for applications ranging from fixed security installations to mid-sized vehicles and vessels, the LRAD 500X-RE easily mounts and transports to provide law enforcement, homeland security, and defense personnel unparalleled long-range communication and scalable non-lethal, non-kinetic Escalation of Force.

The U.S. Navy and U.S. Army’s acoustic hailing device (AHD) of choice for small vessels and vehicles, the extended frequency range of the LRAD 500X-RE ensures broadcasts are clearly heard and understood on the ground, from the air or at sea in all environments.

Propulsion

The frigate is powered by four MTU 20V 8000 diesel engines in a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) configuration. Each engine is rated at 8,200kW. The engines drive two shafts with constant pitch propellers.

The cruise and maximum speeds are 18kt and 27kt and the range is 7,200km (4,000nm).